Speaker Alice Stjernestøv was one of 70 Americans attending the No Dictators! protest in Malmö.

Alice Stjernestøv recently moved to Sweden from the US because of the growing risks to trans people there. She is studying human rights.

Going to a rally, especially one across the Pond, is a very dream-like experience. Of course, moving my life abroad for my safety also feels incredibly unreal so for sure this would feel similar as well.

I have given public speeches before. I am not foreign to the act of public expression; but what is foreign is wondering if your message is getting across, especially with such a different culture, and going in to do a speech for people where English may not be their first language or they may not fully understand the politics of America was a little daunting: would what i said and how I said it rhetorically come off the right way to these people?

Thankfully, I think the answer to that is a solid yes. So many people told me they felt very engaged in the protest and that the speech itself resonated with them on a personal level. And that is actually the most important aspect: connecting emotionally with people. Its one of my biggest criticisms of the Democratic Party as a whole, that they know what is politically correct but don't know how to energize people; and that is what is needed right now. Left-wing populism. Simple messaging, straight to the point, not afraid to call the Republicans what they truly are (evil cowards!) – to have the integrity to finally bring what is ultimately needed to solve our crises.